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System for and method of streaming data to a computer in a networkRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Multicomputer Data Transferring, Network Computer Configuring, InitializingSystem for and method of streaming data to a computer in a network description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080098100, System for and method of streaming data to a computer in a network. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention relates generally to the simultaneous transfer of data from a network server to one or more client devices, such as personal computers (PC's), in a network. More specifically, the invention facilitates remote management of client devices by employing virtual disk emulation and broadcasting or multicasting of desired data. In some embodiments, said data includes operating system (O/S), hibernation, and application files which reside on the network server and are used to boot and/or configure the one or more client devices. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Computer networks are commonly used in offices or corporate environments to interconnect personal computers (PCs). With the growth of PC usage has come an increasing demand to share computer files and facilitate administration of each PC after installation. In a network comprised of many PCs, the cost to an organization of having an Information Technology representative physically visit and service each PC can be enormous. In order to reduce these costs, software and computer manufacturers have developed technologies aimed at maintaining software products centrally on a network server and then downloading the desired software, via the network, to each client PC. [0003] Network-centric computing has also imposed new requirements on the PC architecture. Embedded systems are typically small, inexpensive and are designed as dedicated fixed purpose devices. PC's are expandable general purpose computing platforms that can be used for many different roles at different points in their lifetime. Many forms of modern embedded systems are connected to communications mechanisms that allow them to interact with other intelligent connected equipment, by transmitting data packets across the network according to a set of rules called "transport protocols." In order for two computers in a network, such as a server and a client, to communicate with one another, each computer must use the proper transport protocol for the particular network. The present invention employs standard TFTP (trivial file transport protocol) and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) for network communications. [0004] Designers and manufacturers of embedded intelligent connected equipment are looking for ways to reduce cost and improve manageability & reliability, facilitate deployment and secure intellectual property within these devices. One way to accomplish this is to introduce the ability for the client PC to boot from the network. The purpose of a PC's boot process is to load the necessary operating system components, initialize the hardware devices and present to the user an application. This is a long process and one that under normal conditions needs to consider changes in hardware or software configurations, as well as changes in authorized users. Network booting is better suited to those situations wherein the PC's associated hardware is fixed and the client PC's role does not change frequently. Network booting allows for the removal of the client PC's hard disk and facilitates centralized management of software content. Because current network bandwidth (10/100 Mbs and 1 Gbs) does not approach the speed of a client PC's local hard disk, a remote "cold boot" of an operating system (O/S) in a client PC from a network server is not terribly efficient and can take a great deal of time. Furthermore, bandwidth and network server resources can be further degraded by the additional challenge of attempting to boot simultaneously scores of client devices (a "boot storm".) The lengthy time required to "cold boot" further distracts from the perception and behavior of a typical embedded device. Thus, what is needed is a scalable way to speed up the transfer of desired data from a central repository, such as a network server, to a plurality of client devices in a network. [0005] U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,601 to Matthews, et al., discloses an approach to resolving the long boot time associated with remotely booting a client device from a boot image in a network. However, that patent teaches resuming, following a reset of some kind, from a hibernation image stored on each client PC's local storage media. This approach requires any reconfiguration of the desired state of the PC to be performed prior to the hibernation of the client PC, and could possibly run afoul of network bandwidth problems as the server individually transfers a plurality of hibernate images to a corresponding plurality of client PCs in networks with large numbers of client PCs. [0006] U.S. Pat. No. 5,974,547 to Klimenko teaches an apparatus for and method of using disk emulation for booting a 32-bit PC operating system (O/S) on a client computer through a networked connection to a server. In particular, that patent teaches a method of switching (on each disk I/O call) between the 32-bit protected mode processing of Windows 9x O/S's and the 16-bit real mode used by the BIOS, often referred to as "thunking", until the client's O/S is able to perform networking on its own. The method and apparatus presented therein is particularly suited to booting an O/S such as Windows 95.RTM. from a server by downloading a complete image of the software applications desired on the client PC, including the O/S. However, that patent does not envision the use of broadcasting or multicasting of desired data, which in certain preferred embodiments might include a hibernation file, to a plurality of client PCs in the network. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention provides a system for and method of streaming data from a network server to one or more client PCs. The data may be retrieved in a predetermined manner from a plurality of sectors of a storage device associated with the network server. During operation, the one or more client PC's issue a corresponding number of requests for a download of the plurality of sectors. The requests are forwarded to the server, which transparently emulates operation of a local disk at each of the client PCs. The server operates to broadcast or to simultaneously multicast to the requesting clients the desired data from a virtual hard drive associated with the server. The server preferably accepts download requests during a predetermined invitation period, prior to transmitting the desired data. [0008] In certain embodiments, the emulation is affected by executing emulation code resident on each of the client PCs. Preferably; the emulation code is pre-execution boot environment (PXE) code resident on a network interface card (NIC) of each client PC. In alternative embodiments, the emulation is a result of inventive boot code downloaded from the network server which when executed assumes disk access control by an interrupt handling procedure (Int 13h) and requests the desired data. And in yet another embodiment, the emulation is effected at each client PC by executing portions of the O/S (preferably Windows 2000, NT or XP.RTM.) and two inventive drivers downloaded from the network server, which similarly assumes control of the client's network interface and generates requests for desired data. [0009] The streamed data may be broadcast or multicast in simultaneous burst mode from the network server to client PC's requesting a download. Therefore, the data need only be transmitted once from the network server, rather than redundantly to each client PC. As data sectors are received at each client, they are queued into data caches pre-allocated by the inventive drivers. This advantageously allows each client to concern itself with other activities, such as initializing O/S data structures, drivers and/or applications. [0010] In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a system for and method of booting an O/S on one or more client PCs from a network server employing virtual disk emulation and the streaming method to multicast or broadcast prearranged portions of the disk image from the server to one or more clients. The inventive drivers operate so as to support restoring each client PC to a usable state, in part by accepting a broadcast or multicast portion of the disk image (a plurality of sectors) which collectively comprise O/S files necessary to complete the rebooting process. Requests for disk access in the early stage of the boot process will initially be redirected to the network server from each client using the PXE service. The PXE code will facilitate establishment of the initial virtual connection between each client and the server, allowing the server to be seen as another client drive. The PXE code facilitates downloading of additional emulation code, which in turn downloads O/S code that facilitates downloading of the portions of the disk image to be transmitted. During early phases of the boot process, insufficient O/S components have been loaded and activated to provide client O/S supported network access. Consequently, client hard disk access requests are handled through the Int 13h handler and the downloaded emulation code. Roughly 25% through the boot of the O/S, the O/S will assume control over communications with the server using the inventive drivers, effectively bypassing the need for the BIOS Int 13h services. [0011] In yet another embodiment, the system for and method of fast booting an O/S on one or more client PCs from a network server makes use of a hibernation file. In these embodiments, the streamed data includes, among other things, a hibernation file including a hibernation image and several O/S files. Although the streaming process itself does not rely at all on hibernation functionality, the one or more client PC's of these embodiments obviously must each operate an O/S that supports hibernation. Such systems include Microsoft Windows 2000.RTM. and XP.RTM.. A further description of network booting employing the synchronous streaming method may also be found in the Applicants' co-pending U.S. Pat. No. 6,954,852 issued Oct. 11, 2005 and entitled "System for and Method of Network Booting of an Operating System to a Client Computer Using Hibernation", assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. [0012] The invention advantageously requires less hardware because the client devices may be configured without hard disks. The invention also allows all client PCs to download the same desired data. This translates to easier maintenance of individual client devices since each client is no longer running unique copies of the O/S or the applications. For example, a software upgrade need only be performed on a single disk image or particular group of data sectors, as opposed to any number of individual client PCs. Considering that the streaming data is broadcast or multicast to a plurality of clients, network traffic will be considerably reduced during peak traffic times, such as when a great number of clients are attempting to boot together. The solution provided herein, therefore, is highly scalable, as very few additional system resources will be necessary to boot an increasing number of client PC's. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0013] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a client/server network environment in which the present invention may be practiced. [0014] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a network adapter in accordance one embodiment of the present invention. [0015] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of a portion of a client's local memory after the inventive drivers have been downloaded from a network server and executed. [0016] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a synchronous streaming process provided by the present invention. [0017] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a network booting process employing a hibernation image file. DETAILED DESCRIPTION [0018] Certain preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. [0019] As used herein, the terms "MBR" (Master Boot Record), "storage driver", and "network filter driver" refer to bootstrapping software modules developed by the Applicants. In order to differentiate software modules developed by persons other than the Applicants, a convention of preceding such modules' names with "O/S" has been adopted. Also, the terms "virtual drive", "boot drive" and "server drive" are used synonymously in the description that follows. Continue reading about System for and method of streaming data to a computer in a network... Full patent description for System for and method of streaming data to a computer in a network Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this System for and method of streaming data to a computer in a network patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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